The Sixer Sense
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Brett Brown Really Likes Jerryd Bayless’ Fit With the Future

By Josh Wilson

Mar 20, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown looks up against the Orlando Magic during the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 20, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown looks up against the Orlando Magic during the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Despite that he was injured for most of this season, Brett Brown believed Jerryd Bayless is a great fit for the team and the Philadelphia 76ers‘ future.

This season has been less than ideal for Jerryd Bayless. The only real positive that happened for his career was signing a fresh contract, and that was before the year began.

That contract was looked at as the best signing Philadelphia 76ers President and General Manager made in his first free agency period with the Sixers, as he got the eight-year veteran on a three-year, $27 million deal that would decline in total cap hit in each of the three seasons. He found a veteran that would not only impart wisdom, but fit well alongside what the Sixers were rolling out.

What he didn’t take into account, however, was the fact that Bayless suffered a wrist injury at the end of the previous season, and that that injury would spill into the beginning of the Sixers season.

Bayless ended up appearing in three consecutive games after a heavy amount of rehabilitation, and even started in the final game he appeared in. After the final game, Bayless suffered wrist discomfort again, and was kept out and reevaluated as the weeks went on.

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The Sixers and Bayless eventually landed on their final decision — that the best option for Bayless moving forward and his long-term health would be surgery. So, the Sixers did it, and took him out for the season. The three-year signee played just three games in his first season.

Some are in the camp of attempting to trade Bayless, because although he is not too expensive (he is $9 million or less in the next two seasons, when the cap is approaching $100 million) it would be helpful to free up any cash as the team needs to start going after big-name free agents hard. The return on him may not be great, however, since he has been injured and recovering for quite some time now.

There is a question as to how effective Bayless will be with the team from here on out. The reason he was brought in was to work as a guard alongside Simmons, and to do most of the defending with Simmons on the floor. With Simmons, too, missing his rookie season, it’s unclear whether or not Simmons even needs Bayless, or if the Sixers could find someone in the NBA Draft to work better.

One of the people that still believe in Bayless strongly as an option for the team moving forward is head coach Brett Brown.

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Brett Brown spoke to the media as detailed in a recent CSN Philly article about Bayless and why he’s a good fit with the team:

"“It’s somebody that can guard the other point guard, it’s somebody that can make a three, it’s somebody that can bring the ball up the floor from time to time or run a second side pick and roll. I think that Jerryd does, to (president of basketball operations) Bryan Colangelo’s credit, fit the qualities that we’re going to need in that position next to Ben Simmons.”"

Sure, in theory, Bayless fits into those categories that Brown mentions, but it’s all hypothetical. We haven’t seen him play lengthy amounts of basketball in over a year at this point, and it will be a year and a half by the time the regular season comes around.

In my opinion, Bayless isn’t necessarily an important piece of the future, but he is smart to have around as the year begins to help Simmons and maybe work as a veteran above whatever rookie point guard the team brings in.

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That said, similar to Ersan Ilyasova, I think he could be a stop-gap that is leveraged in a trade near the trade deadline. Only time will tell, but the first thing Bayless needs to do is get healthy.